Daily Mail Editorial, April 11
"Michael Howard... spelled out [on Sunday] the Tories' plans for sensible controls on immigration. There would be an annual quota... specialist border control police... 24-hour security at ports... and an Australian-style points system for work permits giving priority to those with the skills we need.

"Mr Howard is talking a lot of sense... There has been nothing more malign in this election campaign than the insidious way in which ministers are trying to brand as racists those who want to debate immigration. They could not be more wrong... There is also deep concern in Britain that many asylum seekers are economic migrants in disguise, playing the system to stay as long as possible, and that others enter the country and work here illegally... New Labour says it wants to fight on its record - but it won't debate the issue that concerns people most of all."

Sun Editorial, April 11 "Britain's illegal immigration crisis is rightly at the very heart of the battle for power. Hundreds of thousands every year have slipped through our borders during Labour's reign in power. Mr Howard's gloves-off approach to the issue is long overdue... It's not racist to talk about immigration and asylum. Illegal immigrants who pay no taxes are an unwanted drain on the public services the rest of us need. The Sun has campaigned hard on this issue and Tony Blair has woken up to the crisis. Economic migration is essential for this country's economy and future - but Britain badly needs to regain control of its borders."

Herald Editorial, Scotland, April 11"Politicians are quick to use asylum seekers as a political football. Mr Howard did not disappoint [on Sunday] as he made an early pitch to make the number-nine jersey his own for the campaign. But playing the immigration card can have serious consequences, as Mr Howard must know even if he did choose to ignore the weekend appeal from the UN's refugee agency. It called on politicians to act responsibly and not spread asylum myths. One of the most abiding is that asylum seekers are in this country on false pretences, intent on milking the system for all they can get...

"Worryingly, the [UN] report concluded that discrimination against the refugee and asylum-seeking communities was increasingly becoming the norm. That is, perhaps, the inevitable consequence when emotive, irresponsible language is used about immigration and asylum. The study, so pertinent in its timing, demonstrates that asylum seekers are also victims. Mr Howard, please note."

Daily Mirror Editorial, April 11"At least there is no pretence now. The Tory message is blatantly clear: vote for us and keep foreigners out of Britain... Already the Conservatives are slipping in the polls. That is why Mr Howard in desperation is racking up his alarmist rhetoric... To us, it seems that millions of asylum seekers are desperate to get to Britain to live in luxury on our benefits. The truth is that only a tiny proportion want to come here and most of those who do can claim no more than a pittance. As for immigrants living off welfare, they want to work in Britain, not sponge off us...

"Immigration and asylum must not be used by desperate politicians to exploit the worst fears and prejudices. The British people are too decent to be taken in by their lies."

Independent Editorial, April 11"The fact is that, while the Tories have been outrageously exploiting the immigration card, the government has not done nearly enough to discourage them. It has made little effort to clarify the distinction between asylum seekers and migrants. And it has done almost nothing to demonstrate the manifold benefits to Britain from immigration, even in its current, not especially well organised form.

"It has been left to the Liberal Democrats to put the positive case as Charles Kennedy did so admirably [on Sunday]. Immigration, he insisted, was not an issue for 'party political posturing'... and he argued that this country was 'richer and more vibrant' precisely because it was 'a multi-racial, multi-ethnic society'. He is right... What a shame that Mr Howard did not use the opportunity of his speech in Telford to surprise us with a more positive, less partisan, approach and what a scandal that Labour has never really tried to do so either."

Scotsman Editorial, April 11"The Tories clearly believe that talking tough on immigration can win them votes on May 5. They may be right, at least as far as some parts of southern England are concerned. But in Scotland the picture is very different. Our declining population is one of the most serious problems facing the country over the long term, particularly as the shortage of those of tax-paying age will become critical in the next couple of decades. Scotland is heading for a crisis, and the Tories' only response has been to insist that the Scottish economy must grow before the country can become an attractive destination for migrants...

"Immigration is a major election issue but if the Tories think it will win them votes in Scotland, they will have to show a more flexible approach than they have been willing to do so far."